According to one method, it is customary to first of all wind wires around the end portions of the dents with the aid of semi-circular rods. For one thing, the wires define the distance between the dents that is required to give the warp threads the necessary room during the weaving process. For another, the wires also establish the first mutual attachment between the dents. In a further processing step, the ends of the dents are inserted into a U-shaped profile and embedded therein, preferably with synthetic resin or other adhesives, thereby creating the aforementioned frame members of the reed. In addition to setting the aforementioned gap width by winding wires around the dents, spiral springs are pressed between the edges of the dents to assist in accurately setting the desired distance between them. These spiral springs and the semi-circular rods with the wires are subsequently covered with a layer of adhesive that is flush with the reed's frame members. The wires for winding around the dents and for the spiral springs must have a highly uniform diameter and must be kept in stock for every required dent spacing. The winding procedure has to be constantly monitored on account of unavoidable fluctuations in the wire diameter and thickness of the dents. The spiral springs have to be inserted manually.
Another method of manufacturing reeds, which is described in the aforementioned publication, consists in inserting or glueing spacers between the dents in order to set the gap width. The ends of the dents remain free and are subsequently glued to the reed's frame members. The spacers are then removed again or dissolved away.
JP 2001 003240 A describes work stages for producing a reed. Once the dents of the reed in question have been mutually spaced apart and fixed in position by way of work stages that are not disclosed in detail, thread eyes are produced between each pair of dents by extruding adhesive in the gap between the dents concerned. DE 2150 275 A1 discloses another method of producing a reed, in which, to start with, portions of the reed's frame members, which consist of thermoplastic polymer, are softened by heating them. The dents are then pressed into these portions.
Among the disadvantages of the described methods are that, in order to accurately obtain the required distance between adjacent dents, they use or should use expensive spacers, which furthermore imply a measure of tolerance. These semi-finished products are tedious to insert and a wide range of types has to be kept in stock. High costs are the natural consequence.
With the last-mentioned method, these spacers have to be removed again from the gaps between the dents, which leads to further inaccuracies in the dent spacing. In addition, the methods cited are not cheap—again on account of the necessity of inserting expensive spacers.